Producer Dheer Momaya Bets on Genre Films, Says ‘Mirzapur: The Movie’ Worked as it Stayed True to its Core Audience (EXCLUSIVE)

For Dheer Momaya, screenwriter, filmmaker and producer at Jugaad Motion Pictures, the future of Indian cinema looks full of potential. After producing the Oscar-shortlisted Gujarati film “Last Film Show” (“Chhello Show”) by Pan Nalin, Momaya has applied what he learned from mounting an awards campaign to his plans for his production house’s upcoming slate, which leans heavily on genre-specific entertainment across formats and languages.

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In an exclusive chat with Variety India, Momaya hedged big bets on genre films as a way for studios to manage the risks of mounting multiple ambitious projects. He says, “I think genre films are definitely a trend we’re going to see. When you’re creating a slate of films as a studio, you need to look at it slightly differently. Your slate needs to have a wide range with films that can sometimes help offset the risk of each other, because, as a studio, you are doing intense risk management. So in a slate of films, I feel like the pie that genre takes is going to only increase in India.”

He elaborates, “Today, creating something thrilling has a much higher opportunity in cinemas than something purely dramatic. India has always been a mixed genre film market. There’s a bit of romance, action, dance, horror, all thrown together into these sort of potpourris. But I believe stricter genre films will be it.”

Momaya further solidifies his point by citing how the trend has already been working well for streaming platforms, as they now go beyond personal screens. Case in point: Prime Video’s “Mirzapur” model.

“It’s what’s working on OTT now. Look at ‘Mirzapur: The Movie’ and the numbers it’s done at the box office beyond just streaming because it’s true to its genre and its audience. So I feel more specific, contained genre films will be the breakout hits. And that’s something I’m also excited about exploring with my upcoming body of work,” Momaya concludes.